Ancient Beginnings
by penspot
Summary: Tikki has been around for a very long time as has Plagg. What had happened to their first chosen so many ages ago? Not sure if I want to make this a longer story, so we will start off as a one shot.


**A/N: So after much futile research about ancient China and the language, I eventually gave up and went the cheap route: Google translate. I understand that ancient Chinese would probably be nowhere near the vocabulary I am using in this fic, but I was only able to find a few words and spellings and none of them were relevant to this story. The words for bad luck: Daomei and good luck: Xingyun are supposed to be traditional. If any of my readers out there knows and speaks Chinese, please feel free to correct me.**

"Daomei!" he heard her scream as the world tumbled about him. Had he not been so preoccupied with trying to land on his feet, he would have kicked himself for worrying his precious Xingyun , his Good luck. But that was only a faint thought among the ringing pain wracking his body as he skidded into the mountainside.

Ladybug attempted to run over to her partner's side, only to be blocked by a swarm of akuma. Menacing laughter rang from above where Ladybug found her foe.

"How does it feel, Ladybug?" the villain titled Hawkmoth called. "To be completely helpless?"

"I am not helpless!" She declared, swinging her yo-yo at him. "Release our friend, demon!"

"Release him? Ha! He wants to be here! It was his choice!" Hawkmoth sneered, sending another wave of akuma towards the speckled heroine. Ladybug dodged again, rolling a little closer to Bad Luck. The cat like form of Bad Luck remained eerily still, shaking her with nerves.

"Tikki, what can I do?" She whispered at a loss. "I don't have the strength to summon the lucky charm."

"I am with you, Hui," Tikki whispered in her mind. "You are Xingyun, the essence of good luck. We can do this."

"I-I can't. Not without Zan."

"It's alright. You just need to believe. Do you trust me?"

"Of course."

"And do you trust yourself?"

"I hope so."

"Then call the charm. We must defeat the akuma's evil here and now."

Hui gave a longing look over to her fallen partner before swinging the red and black yo-yo into the air. "Lucky Charm!"

Through the bright flash of light, the charm came down and landed in Hui's hands. "A box?" She observed the wooden dotted box. "What do I do with a box?"

Before Hui could look around, another wave of akuma butterflies crashed into her, sending the hero skidding to the edge of the cliff. Ladybug dug her nails into the earth, desperately trying to keep herself from falling over. The box had landed a few yards away.

"Hahaha!" Hawkmoth howled with sinister delight. "Say goodbye, Xingyun!"

"Not on this cat's watch!" From nowhere Zan leapt up and sent Hawkmoth rearing with a roundhouse. Daomei flipped in midair and landed on all fours, a fierce snarl twisting his features. "How dare you touch my Good Luck!"

"Cat!" Ladybug hollered.

"Sorry Love," said Zan, hopping over to Hui and lifting her back to solid ground. As soon as she was safe from the edge, Zan found himself getting slapped.

"Ah! What was that for?"

"For scaring the life out of me! I thought you were dead!"

Zan smirked. "Ah, it takes more than that to get rid of me. Cats always land on their paws."

"Really? It looked like you had landed on your back."

Zan kissed the top of Hui's head. "I am alive. No worries," he assured her.

A cloud of akuma exploded from Hawkmoth, roaring like thunder and crackling with power. "What a disgusting display! I have had enough of the both of you."

"Hawkmoth, release Li immediately!" Zan demanded.

"Never! He's mine! And you two are finished!" Hawkmoth threw his arm at the two heroes, releasing a pillar of darkness. Ladybug and Black Cat dove out of the way.

"Daomei! We need that box!" Ladybug called. Bad Luck nodded and started running for the charm.

"Running away?" Hawkmoth lifted his arm to strike again, only to be attacked by Ladybug.

"Not this time!"

"Get off!" the villain howled.

"Ladybug! Catch!" Hui saw that Zan had grabbed the lucky charm. Ladybug saw in her mind's eye what she was supposed to do and it made her heart drop.

"Don't throw it!" She yelled, driving a kick to the top of Hawkmoth's head and leaping over to her partner.

"What are we supposed to do with a box?"

"We're going to trap Hawkmoth in it."

"Trap him? What about Li?"

Hui bit her lip and looked down at the ground before answering, "Li's gone, Zan. I saw what we have to do."

Zan grabbed Ladybug's shoulder and spun her around. "You are talking about sacrificing our friend."

"It will be more than that."

"What?"

Hui smiled sadly and sighed. "I can't just fold him up and put him in the box, love. Such a feat will take all my strength, all my energy," she explained, then added softly, "My life."

"Hui!" Zan's eyes widened, but he was cut off from another attack. "Look out!" He shoved her over as a crater took their place.

"Why won't you die?"

"You'll just have to try harder, Hawkmoth," Cat jeered. With a jump he was able to swing his staff at the villain and knock him backwards before landing by Ladybug again.

"There's no more time," Hui stressed, opening the lid. "I have to do this."

Zan placed a clawed hand over her own, his eyes shining with sorrow and determination. "Not without me."

"Zan-"

"Love, how could I possibly go on without you? I am your partner. You are my Xingyun. I will follow you to the heavens and back. Wherever you go, never ask me to leave your side."

"Zan," Hui choked, eyes brimming with tears. Her other hand brushed his tenderly before grasping the side of the box again. With both hands clutching the sides of the charm, she raised it above her head and aimed the opening towards Hawkmoth.

"Villain!" She roared. "You have taken a beloved friend! You have cursed the land and tormented the people with your evil spirits, the akuma! You are a demon, and with all the power I have, you shall be banished!"

The box began to shake and glow with swirling black and white light. The ladybug markings along the box's sides changed color and lit up with bright green and red.

"Banish me?" Hawkmoth shrieked. "You cannot banish me!"

"Good luck and bad luck together as one will seal your power forever!" As she spoke the words, a swarm of pure white akuma came swirling out of the charm box in a fierce tornado of power. And through that torrent, Hui could feel her energy leaving as well.

"Wha- NO! NOO!" Hawkmoth called his corrupt akuma to surround him and go after the pure butterflies. But it was no use. The overwhelming power of the pure akuma enveloped Hawkmoth and dragged the demon towards the box.

Hui couldn't watch. Instead she fixed her eyes on her partner, watching his concentration with admiration and a pang of regret. There were so many things they could have done together, but destiny brought them here. That was their luck.

"Zan," she called out over the howl of the swarming akumas. "I love you!"

Zan smiled weakly and answered, "Forever and always."

The charm box finally drew in the last of Hawkmoth with one last futile bellow and sealed itself in a final burst of light before clattering to the ground.

All was still. There were no more akuma. No more battle. Nothing.

Tikki and Plagg hovered over the scene, both fighting back their own tears at the site of their fallen chosen. Hui and Zan lay side by side on the ground, eyes closed peacefully as though they were only asleep.

"Zan-" Plagg nuzzled against the man's cheek. It was cold to the touch.

"Oh, Plagg," Tikki sighed and cuddled up against the cat-like Kwami to give him comfort. The two kwami's remained like that for what felt like an eternity before duty called back to Tikki. She glared at the box and zipped over to it. No longer was it just a lucky charm. The box had been enfused with both good and bad luck and slivers of green, red, black, and white twisted across its surface like chains.

"This box must never be opened again."

Plag rubbed his eyes and sniffled. "Huh?"

"We have to hide this box so that no one would ever release Hawkmoth."

"But it was sealed with the Miraculous. Only another Miraculous could open it. And we would never let that happen."

Tikki wanted to say something, but let it go. Instead she whispered, "We have to be sure."

And so the kwami hid the box away, far where no human or kwami would ever think to look. With final farewells to their beloved hosts and after making sure their families knew of what happened, the kawmi left their first home, what we know as China, and began traveling west where new adventures awaited.


End file.
